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Department of English
Assignment on
‘’Research Methodology’’
Submitted to: Firoz Ahmed
Assistant Professor,
Department of Anthropology
Comillla University
Submitted by: Md. Zahidul Islam
Class ID: 21801012
Session: 2018-19
Department of English
Comilla University.
Date of Submission:21.12.2020
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1.Research Validity and Reliability
Validity and Reliability are closely related, but they mean different things. A
measurement can be reliable without being valid. However, if a measurement is
valid, it is usually also reliable.
Validity
Validity refers to how accurately a method measures what it is intended to
measure. If research has high validity, that means it produces results that
correspond to real properties, characteristics, and variations in the physical or
social world.
High reliability is one indicator that a measurement is valid. If a method is not
reliable, it probably isn’t valid.
If the thermometer shows different temperatures each time, even though you
have carefully controlled conditions to ensure the sample’s temperature stays
the same, the thermometer is probably malfunctioning, and therefore its
measurements are not valid.
If a symptom questionnaire results in a reliable diagnosis when answered at
different times and with different doctors, this indicates that it has high validity
as a measurement of the medical condition.
However, reliability on its own is not enough to ensure validity. Even if a test is
reliable, it may not accurately reflect the real situation.
The thermometer that you used to test the sample gives reliable results.
However, the thermometer has not been calibrated properly, so the result is 2
degrees lower than the true value. Therefore, the measurement is not valid.
A group of participants take a test designed to measure working memory. The
results are reliable, but participants’ scores correlate strongly with their level of
reading comprehension. This indicates that the method might have low validity:
the test may be measuring participants’ reading comprehension instead of their
working memory.
Validity is harder to assess than reliability, but it is even more important. To
obtain useful results, the methods you use to collect your data must be valid: the
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research must be measuring what it claims to measure. This ensures that your
discussion of the data and the conclusions you draw are also valid.
Reliability
Reliability refers to how consistently a method measures something. If the same
result can be consistently achieved by using the same methods under the same
circumstances, the measurement is considered reliable.
Reliability is a concern every time a single observer is the source of data,
because we have no certain guard against the impact of that observer’s
subjectivity” (Babbie, 2010, p.158). According to Wilson (2010) reliability
issues are most of the time closely associated with subjectivity and once a
researcher adopts a subjective approach towards the study, then the level of
reliability of the work is going to be compromised.
How are reliability and validity assessed?
Reliability can be estimated by comparing different versions of the same
measurement. Validity is harder to assess, but it can be estimated by comparing
the results to other relevant data or theory. Methods of estimating reliability and
validity are usually split up into different types.
Qualitative research is a broad field of inquiry that uses unstructured data
collections methods, such as observations, interviews, surveys and documents,
to find themes and meanings to inform our understanding of the world.[1]
Qualitative research tends to try to cover the reasons for behaviors, attitudes and
motivations, instead of just the details of what, where and when. Qualitative
research can be done across many disciplines, such as social sciences,
healthcare and businesses, and it is a common feature of nearly every single
workplace and educational environment.
Thing We should Keep in Mind Before Doing Qualitative Research:
Authenticity
Does the research genuinely and accurately reflect the experiences of
participants and the meaning they attribute to their experiences? For example, if
you returned our research findings to participants, would they recognise them as
their own?
Confirmability
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Can the results be confirmed or corroborated by others? For example, we will
need to document the procedures for checking and rechecking the data
throughout the study. You could also ask a colleague to check their
interpretations of the data.
Credibility
Are the findings credible? Do the findings believably portray the experiences of
participants and accurately interpret the meaning of the data? For example, we
could check if the findings are consistent or inconsistent with other sources of
data.
Criticality
Is the research design systematic and is there evidence of critical analysis and
reflexivity? This means our readers should be able to follow our thinking and
understand the rationale behind our decisions. How will you document our
thought processes ?
Dependability
Have we accounted for the ever-changing context within which our research
occurs? For example, we must document any changes that occur in the research
setting and the effect these changes may have had on our study.
Integrity
Are interpretations of the data grounded within the data and is integrity evident
within the process of data analysis? For example, we may be required to provide
verbatim transcripts of interviews.
Transferability
Do the findings fit other settings? For example, do others with similar
experiences not included in the study also identify with the findings? In other
words, are our research findings similar to their own?
Then we should choose a qualitative research methodology. The design of
qualitative research is the most flexible of all the experimental techniques, so
there are a number of accepted methodologies available to us.
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A.Footnote
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Note citing a particular source or making a brief explanatory comment placed at
the bottom of a page corresponding to the item cited in the corresponding text
above.
Footnotes are used in some books and research work, particularly work
published in the social sciences discipline. Footnotes are intended to provide
readers with further information or to share copyright permission information.
Some features of foot notes:
Footnotes are numbered consecutively throughout the research paper, not
restarting numbering on each page.
Each quotation requires a footnote.
Footnotes are always double-spaced.
Footnotes are referenced using a superscript number.
Endnotes
Note citing a particular source or making a brief explanatory comment placed at
the end of a research paper and arranged sequentially in relation to where the
reference appears in the paper.
Depending on the writing style used in the class, endnotes may take the place of
a list of resources cited in our paper or they may represent non-bibliographic
items, such as comments or observations, followed by a separate list of
references to the sources we cited and arranged alphabetically by the author's
last name.
B. FGD
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A focus group discussion (or FGD) is a qualitative research method in the social
sciences, with a particular emphasis and application in the developmental
program evaluation sphere.
FGDs are a predetermined semi-structured interview led by a skilled moderator.
The moderator asks broad questions to elicit responses and generate discussion
among the participants. The moderator’s goal is to generate the maximum
amount of discussion and opinions within a given time period.
Focus group discussions should be used when we need to understand an issue at
a deeper level than we can access with a survey.
References
↑http://www.qsrinternational.com/what-is-qualitative-research.aspx
↑https://explorable.com/what-is-a-literature-review
↑https://explorable.com/qualitative-research-design
↑https://explorable.com/qualitative-research-design
↑https://explorable.com/qualitative-research-design
↑https://explorable.com/qualitative-research-design
↑https://explorable.com/qualitative-research-design
↑http://www.qual.auckland.ac.nz/
↑http://www.qual.auckland.ac.nz/
↑http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/qualapp.php
↑http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/qualapp.php
↑http://www.qual.auckland.ac.nz/
↑http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/qualdata.php
↑http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/qualapp.php
↑http://www.qual.auckland.ac.nz/
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↑tobaccoeval.ucdavis.edu/analysis-reporting/.../CodingQualitativeData.pdf
↑https://statistics.laerd.com/statistical-guides/descriptive-inferential-
statistics.php
↑http://www.qual.auckland.ac.nz/
↑http://www.qual.auckland.ac.nz/
↑http://www.qual.auckland.ac.nz/
3.2017
